Late Night Home

title ig

The sound of rushing water filled Kunikida's ears. She silently walked on the sidewalk of the streets of Yokohama, late night chatter from restaurants and open apartment windows filling her eardrums. She flipped open her phone to check the weather.

13°C.

Great. She knew she should have brought a jacket with her, but she had to suffer out in the cold in her uncomfortable work outfit until she got home.

Everything seemed to be bothering her. The texture of her clothes. The loud noise of the city. The feeling of her own skin.

But she had to keep moving.

Just a little more she thought.

She turned onto a dimly lit and empty street, not expecting anyone to be walking around in such an area at this hour. It was a shortcut to her and Dazai's apartment building that she usually took in the afternoons when she finished with work early.

Suddenly, a second set of footsteps could be heard. They sounded like they were from a rooftop around this area. Kunikida grabbed her gun and stopped walking. Someone was following her home.

There was a shadow figure on the edge of a rooftop that was easily visible. Kunikida spun around and pointed her gun at the shadow. She noticed the shadow was too small to be a human, and in a weird shape. A streetlamp turned on near her, and there was enough light to reveal the thing in the shadows.

It was a cat. A small black and white cat. It turned to face Kunikida, and then ran away. Kunikida lowered her gun and put it away. The noise from the lights irritated her, so she went walking off to go home, still worried about the footsteps.

You're tired, Doppo. she said to herself. She ran up the ramp and turned the second corner, before walking up to a small apartment building, taking the stairs to the first apartment on the second floor.

She grabbed her keys from her pocket and unlocked the door. She gently pushed open the wooden door, revealing a small but organized kitchen on the left of the apartment, as well as the living room right next to it, and two doors on the right. One leading to her and Dazai's shared bathroom, and their shared bedroom.

Kunikida tossed her bag on the coat rack and took off her blazer. Instead of neatly hanging her blazer on the coat rack like she'd normally do, she tossed it on the couch and went over to the bathroom.

She turned on the fluorescent light of the bathroom, it's loud buzz annoying her. She quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth before grabbing dirty undershorts and a tank top from the hamper, as she was too tired to actually get ready for bed properly.

When she finished getting dressed, she exited her bathroom and went into her bedroom.

Dazai was hugging a pillow whilst staring up at the ceiling. Her bandages were clean and recently changed, but her top surgery scars were uncovered and semi-showing through her loose shirt.

A few makeup pallets were scattered across their queen sized bed. Dazai yawned and sat up on the bed when she noticed Kunikida's presence in the room.

"It's—" she checked the clock on the dresser next to her. "—three A.M." Dazai said as Kunikida sat down on their bed.

"I know, Dazai,"

"Why'd you get home so late? You promised me you would come home for dinner!"

"I got caught up with work. I apologize," Kunikida said as she turned to look at Dazai.

Dazai reached over and pulled Kunikida to her. She wrapped Kunikida in her arms and forced them both to lay down on their side.

"You know that's not gonna work because I'm taller than you, right?" Kunikida chuckled softly as she took off her glasses and put them on her nightstand.